In a major security breach, notorious gangster Prasad Vitthal Pujari, 45, recently deported to India after years on the run, was allegedly assaulted inside the high-security Mumbai Central Jail on July 6. The incident, which occurred around 12:30 PM, has raised serious questions about inmate safety and internal gang rivalries within the prison system.
According to a complaint filed by prison officer Ravindra Arjun Tonge,39, a violent altercation broke out among inmates — including Pujari — leading to the registration of an FIR on July 7 at the N.M. Joshi Marg Police Station. Seven inmates, including Pujari, have been booked under section 194(2) of Bharatiy Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act, for rioting and assault.
The accused have been identified as: Irfan Rahim Khan,39, Shoaib Khan alias Bhurya,28, Ayub Anumuddin Shaikh,55, Mukesh Sitaram Nishad,29, Lokendra Udaysingh Rawat,31, Siddhesh Santosh Bhosale,26 and Prasad Vitthal Pujari 45.
The inclusion of Pujari in the list of accused suggests that the altercation may have involved a larger group clash rather than a one-sided assault. Police are currently investigating the motive behind the attack and the exact sequence of events.
Sources said, the incident may have stemmed from a clash between rival factions inside the prison. It remains unclear what triggered the confrontation, but the jail authorities responded quickly and managed to bring the situation under control before it escalated further.
No major injuries were reported, but the incident has triggered an internal inquiry into how such a clash was allowed to happen within a high-security facility.
Further investigations are underway to determine the cause of the conflict and whether it was premeditated or spontaneous.
Background on Prasad Pujari
Prasad alias Subhash Vitthal Pujari alias Siddharth Shetty alias Siddhu alias Sid alias Johny, a fugitive gangster with alleged links to the underworld, who was staying in China with his wife for 20 years, was deported to India on March 2024.
Pujari was born and brought up in Tagore Nagar in Vikhroli East, started working for Pillai and became his trusted aide. He was a member of the Kumar Pillai gang, also worked for Chhota Rajan gang and subsequently he started his own gang.
Later in 2005, he shifted to the special administrative region of China on a student visa to study Chinese language and mass communication.
